Method and apparatus for sealing open head containers



, Filed March 25, 1968 Sept.29,1970 P. REZNEZR ETAL 3,530,637

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEALING OPEN HEAD CONTAINERS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Parse 52445? PAM/PAJc/AMfl/VTE ATTORNEY Sept. 29, 1970 P. REZNER ET AL 3,530,637

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEALING OPEN HEAD CONTAINERS Filed March 25, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 2. 22 I INVENTORS P615? fizz/v52 ATTORNEY Sept. 29, 1970 P. REZNER ET ,6

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEALING OPEN HEAD CONTAINERS Filed March 25, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 ulll I INVENTORS flersefisz/vae ATTORNEY United States Patent Oifice 3,530,637 Patented Sept. 29, 1970 3,530,637 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR SEALING OPEN HEAD CONTAINERS Peter Rezner, Beamsville, Ontario, and Philip A. Sciamonte, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, assignors to American Flange & Mfg. Co. Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 25, 1968, Ser. No. 715,665 Int. Cl. B65b 7/28 US. Cl. 53-42 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A methodand apparatus for sealing lug covers on to open head pails. The sealing operation is performed by a segmented crimping annulus which has associated with it means for applying a dispensing closure member to an opening formed in the lug cover.

This invention relates to a method and apparatus for sealing open head containers and is particularly concerned with the application of dispensing closure members to pail heads in conjunction with said sealing.

It is a common practice in the container industry for the container manufacturer to fabricate an open head pail and a separate cover for subsequent application to the pail after the pail has been filled. The cover is provided with a plurality of laterally extending lugs about its periphery from which is derived the term lug cover. The sealing operation is effected by forming these lugs radially inwardly underneath a holding bead which surrounds the upper edge of the pail body. A large sealing tool having a plurality of circumferentially arranged crimping segments is employed to perform this operation. Although access to the contents of the pail can be gained by prying the lugs out and removing the entire cover, it is frequently more desirable to provide a dispensing closure of some kind within the cover itself.

One such closure particularly well suited for dispensing the contents of pails embodies a plug type construction defining a recloseable dispensing passage. A suitable opening is formed in the cover during the manufacture thereof within which the closure member is inserted with a force fit engagement. The application of the dispensing closure member to the pail cover or head has, prior to this invention, been carried out as a completely separate step in the fabrication of the finished pail. This prior practice not only proved to be rather inefiicient and time consuming but in addition frequently required the use of cumbersome and relatively expensive equipment to properly insert the closure members in the pail cover openings.

This invention greatly improves over those existing open head pail sealing arrangements where it is desirable to have a dispensing closure inserted within the pail head, by combining these two fabricating steps in a single efiicient operation. The unique apparatus of the invention includes an attachment for the above described lug cover sealing tool whereby the mechanical force normally utilized to effect securing of the cover to the pail is also employed to accurately insert a dispensing closure member to the cover. The resulting time and cost saving operation greatly simplifies the fabrication of pails having the desired versatility ofiered by both a dispensing closure and a removable head.

It is accordingly a primary object of this invention to provide a novel method of sealing open head containers.

Another object is to provide apparatus for carrying out that method.

A further object is to provide a method and apparatus for applying dispensing closure members to pail heads in conjunction with said sealing.

A still further object is to combine in a single sealing operation the steps of applying covers to pails and inserting dispensing closure members in covers.

Still further and more detailed objects of the invention will in part be obvious and in part pointed out as the description of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing proceeds.

In that drawing:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the pail sealing tool of the invention and for carrying out the method thereof;

FIG. 2 is a part sectional part elevational view of, the sealing tool in operative position relative to a preassembled pail;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing an initial step in the method of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 showing a final step in the method of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a sectional view of the sealing tool with a portion broken away for clarity.

The sealing tool 1 which is modified in accordance with the invention comprises a frame 2 having the general configuration of a wheel formed with a central hub 3, a plurality of radial spokes 4 and a peripheral rim 5. A plurality of radially projecting mounting elements 6 are circumferentially spaced about the rim 5. A crimping finger 7 is pivotally mounted on each mounting element 6 by means of a pivot pin 8. The crimping fingers 7 are vertically elongated and pivotally mounted on the elements 6 at an intermediate position. Each finger has a lower wall engaging surface 9 depending below the rim 5 which is urged radially inwardly upon pivotal movement of the finger about the pivot pin 8. An elongated arm 10 is pivotally connected at its outer end to the upper end of each of the fingers 7 by a pivot pin 11. The inner end of each arm 10 is pivotally connected to a movable collar 13 by means of a pivot pin 12. The collar 13 is centrally apertured at 14 and surrounds a vertical shaft 15 which has a screw thread 16 along its lower portion. The lowermost end of the shaft 15 is threadedly engaged within a central tapped hole 3a in the hub 3 and is locked in place by a lock nut 17. A coiled compression spring 18 surrounds the shaft 16 and bears against the upper surface of the frame 2 and the under surface of the collar 13 so as to urge the collar upwardly along the shaft 15. As seen in FIG. 1, a pair of handles 19 are pivotally secured at 20 to the uppermost end of the shaft 15. Each of the handles 19 has a hand grip 19a, an elongated shank 21 and a short leg 22 which extends perpendicularly to the shank 21. A pair of links 23 are pivotally connected at one end within a slot in each leg 22 by means of a pivot pin 24. The other end of each link 23 is pivotally connected at 25 to the collar 13. The downward vertical travel of the collar 13 along the shaft 15 thus provided for is limited in its downward extent by the adjustable stop nut 26.

From the foregoing sealing tool discription it can readily be seen that downward swinging movement of the handles 19 causes the legs 22 to swing downwardly about the pivot 20. The movement of the legs 22 in turn cause the links 23 to exert a downward force on the collar 13 which moves downwardly along the shaft 15 overcoming the compression of the spring 18. As the inner ends of the arms 10 move downwardly the outer pivot connections 11 move readily outwardly swinging the wall engaging surface 9 of the fingers 7 radially inwardly. Upward movement of the handles 19 aided by the spring 18 reverses the movement of the respective parts and restores the fingers 7 to their initial relaxed position.

Turning to the closure applying attachment which is easily secured to the sealing tool 1 for carrying out the method of the invention, attention is directed to FIG. 1 wherein there is seen a circular plate 31 having a central aperture 32. The upper surface 33 of the plate has four equally spaced cylindrical bosses 34 annularly arranged adjacent its periphery. A dog 35 having a protruding lug 36 is secured to each cylindrical boss 34 by means of a screw 37. Four radially oriented oblong bosses 38 are equally spaced about a central annular zone on the plate top surface 33 so as to lie along radial lines intermediate the cylindrical bosses 34. A rod 39 is threadedly engaged within a tapped hole in each boss 38 and locked in place by a lock nut 40. A second tapped hole 41 is also provided in the end of each boss 38 for alternate reception of the rod 39 for a purpose described hereinafter. A cylindrical adjusting element 42 with an off center bore therethrough is secured to the plate 31 by a screw 43. The plate has a flat undersurface 44 with the exception of an annular groove 45 as seen in FIG. 3.

Looking at FIGS. 2 and 5 it can be seen that the closure applying attachment 30 is easily fitted to the sealing tool 1 by suspending the plate 31 below the frame 2 with the lug 36 of each dog 35 overlying the frame rim 5. Proper rotational orientation of the attachment 30 within the tool 1 is accomplished by turning the adjusting element 42 so that relative movement between the frame 2 and the plate 31 is prevented by engagement of the element 42 and one Or more of the oblong bosses 38 with the spokes 4.

The container or pail upon which the method of the invention is performed is indicated at and can be seen in FIG. 2 as having a body terminating at its uppermost end in a bead 51. The cover or head 52 comprises a circular panel surrounded by a downwardly facing channel 53 the outer wall of which includes a plurality of depending lugs 54. In the cover 52 illustrated, one opening 55 is formed therein for reception of a cap and nozzle dispensing closure assembly 56 and a second smaller opening 57 is formed for reception of a cap and nozzle vent closure assembly 58. The closure assemblies 56 and 58 may be of any of a wide variety of constructions commonly molded of synthetic plastic material such closures being inserted within a container wall opening and permanently retained therewithin by means of a force fit engagement.

The sealing of containers in accordance with the inven tion is carried out in the following manner. The cover 52 is first placed on the open pail 50 with the channel 53 overlying the bead 51 as shown in FIG. 2. The closure assemblies 56 and 58 are then placed loosely over their respective openings 55 and 57. The sealing tool 1, fitted with the closure applying attachment 30, is placed on top of the container 50, as shown in FIG. 3, with the rim 5 resting on the upper surface of the cover channel 53. The lower surface of the loosely supported plate 31 bears directly against the closure assemblies 56 and 58 causing the frame 2 to engage the upper surface of the plate with the lugs 36 spaced above the spokes 2. The top of closure 58 protrudes into the groove 45 to compensate for the difference in height between the two closures illustrated. The sealing action then commences as the tool operator presses down on the handles 19 causing the wall engaging surfaces 9 of the fingers 7 to move radially inwardly forming the lugs 54 in around the under surface of the container bead 51.

As the radial inward forming of the lugs progresses the under surface of the collar 13 strikes the upper ends of the rods 39 as it moves down along the shaft 15. Consequently a downward force is transmitted through the rods 39 to the plate 31 which in turn presses the closure assemblies 56 and 58 into the respective cover openings 55 and 57. The same mechanical force employed to squeeze the lugs 54in under the bead 51 is also utilized to insert the closure fittings in the cover. The downward movement of the plate 31 relative to the frame 2 and the radially inward movement of the finger surfaces 9 progresses simultaneously until the collar 13 strikes the adjustable stop nut 26. At this point the lugs 54 have been formed in tightly against the wall of the pail and the closure fittings are permanently and tightly seated within the pail cover. Upward movement of the handles 19 reverses the movement of the sealing tool parts and the tool is lifted off of the finished container. Complete sealing of the container including the sealing off of a dispensing opening is thus accomplished in a single efiicient operation.

It should be noted that various closure fitting constructions could be inserted in the pail head either singly or in pairs in accordance with the invention. Moreover, provision is made in the attachment 30 for inserting closure fittings of varying heights through the vertical adjustability of the rods 39. Also sealing tools of different manufacture including power operated tools can be accommodated. Reversing of the position of the dogs 35 on the bosses 34 varies the distance between the upper surface 33 of the plate 31 and the lugs 36 is necessary to enable the conversion.

Having described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of sealing open head containers comprising the steps of providing a container cover having an opening formed therein for reception of a dispensing closure member, placing said cover on a container body, placing a dispensing closure member over said opening in said cover, securing said cover to said container and simultaneously with said securing engaging said closure member about said cover opening whereby said container is completely sealed in a single operation.

2. The method as in claim 1, wherein said securing of said cover to said container comprises forming the cover radially inwardly about the container body.

3. The method as in claim 1, wherein said engaging of said closure member about said cover opening comprises inserting said closure Within said opening so as to effect a force fit engagement therebetween.

4. The method as in claim 1, applying a work imparting force to the cover to effect said securing and utilizing said force to effect said simultaneous engaging of said closure member.

5. A tool for sealing open head containers of the type having a cover number formed over a bead on the container body and a dispensing closure member applied to an opening in the cover member, said tool comprising a circular frame, a plurality of annularly arranged sealing fingers mounted on said frame, actuating means operatively connected to said fingers for moving said fingers radially inwardly into engagement with a cover member, a closure applying attachment operatively associated with said frame, and means responsive to said actuating means for activating said closure applying attachment whereby the operation of said sealing tool secures a cover member to a container and permanently applies a closure member to an opening in said cover member.

6. A tool as in claim 5, wherein said sealing fingers are pivotally mounted on said frame and depend therebelow.

7. A tool as in claim 5, wherein said closure applying attachment is concentrically mounted on said frame within said sealing fingers.

includes a vertical central shaft mounted on said frame 5 and a collar member movable along said shaft and operatively connected to said fingers.

10. A tool as in claim 9, wherein said closure applying attachment is mounted at the base of said shaft and References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,462,928 3/1949 Young 53-350 X 3,015,291 1/1962 Ragettli 53344 X TRAVIS S. McGEHEE, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R.

said activating means includes a rigid engagement be- 10 53-43, 264, 329, 350, 363

tween said collar and said attachment. 

